| CD REVIEW Alkemist Fanatix Europe special, December 2010 : Stoned Machine – Terminal Sick |
|
|
With even more releases off the Alkemist Fanatix Europe agency's roster to be released at a later date (in fact, it would seem there's a contract signed for future releases as well), these two (both issued through Casket Music/ Copro Records, who seem to have forgotten about us earlier this year) are what's planned or December distribution for the moment. That may apparently still alter, and here's where you'll find out first! Both Italian, Stoned Machine and Terminal Sick come from a completely different corner musically...but why don't you discover that for yourselves, eh? ---------------------------------------------------- In 2003 some musicians (with a reputation on both the local and national Underground) from the Ravenna area in Northern Italy gathered to express themselves in the Stoner genre, taking Kyuss as prime influence. Over the years there's been some comings and goings, but eventually the line-up settled around vocalist Luca “Hernandez” Damassa, guitarist Mauro “Sampero” Giorgi, bassist Filippo “Felipe” Petrini, and drummer Igor “Rosas” Rosetti. From the beginning the band wrote its own songs, with lyrics focused around human regression (as meant in “...the human being's need to rediscover their own humanity, which is continuously squashed by a progress that's gone out of control and by a technology that despite making our lives easier, make us slaves o the machines we invented...”), a concept they also manifest in their logo. After years of gigs in local venues, occasionally opening for such international acts as Brant Bjork, Dregd, and Karma To Burn, following the release of a self-produced demo and a participation with their song “Human Regression” to the Desert Sound Vol.2 compilation issued by webzine Perkele, Stoned Machine started working with the Alkemist Fanatix Europe agency...whom brought the band in contact with Copro Recordsin 2009. In the Fall of that same year the band recorded the 10 tracks (for an album duration just exceeding 55 minutes) they felt most representative for their sound at Parma's Realsound Studio, and had it mastered at Finland's Finnvox. First slated for a Fall 2010 release, then with a release date set for October 3, I've not been able to find any info on this band at the label's website, which seems a little weird. At any rate, that's as not important as the fact that Stoned Machine makes some dandy nice Stoner Rock/ Metal with great vocals (not always so evident for Italian bands), and you can listen to 4 of the album's songs at either the band's Facebook page or at myspace.com/stonedmachine. Nice, nice! 95/100 -------------------------------------------------- Founded in 2003, it took this band until 2007 to release their 4-track promo Phychical Analysis, and sign a promotion and management deal with the Alkemist Fanatix Europe agency. An exciting event which was cut short when the band's first lead singer decided to quit the band. As you can assertain from the band still being around, the other band members (guitarist Davide D'Amato, DJ/ samples handler Diego Ferri, bassist Francesca “Fre” Pezzoli, and drummer Alessio “Zoppy” Chierici), did not take that hard blow lying down, and in stead went in search for a fitting new lead singer, found eventually during Summer 2008 in one Roberto “Robby” Montanari. The new line-up adopted their musical direction towards a style which they themselves call “strong and powerful Nu-Metalcore with electronic influences”. A mere couple of months later the band signs to Casket Music/ Copro Records, and they spend the month of February 2009 in Parma's Realsound Studio recording the 11 songs on the album. The material is then sent off to Seattle's Spectre Studio, where Troy Glassner mastered the whole. When listening to the album, one cannot but marvel at the appropriate description the band gave its music. A nice thing is the fat that there's a second singer as well, adding some vocal diversity within the songs. Of course, during the harsher songs you'll find both screaming their lungs out, but there's a couple of exceptions. During “Useless Hope” the lead singer uses a more “normal” and clean style, with the second one still screaming (which somehow adds an Emo touch to the song in question). The calmer second half of “My Pain” (as well as other songs) also gets some clean singing, and for acoustic ballad “Forever Alone” there ain't even any backing singer. Evidently, you don't ear very much of the “electronic” additions in the harsher parts, and it's mainly in the calmer openings and endings, or calmer passages within the songs, that you can clearly discern Diego's contributions (which occasionally even give the music an Industrial touch). Hum...to be completely truthful, some of the harsher songs indeed do cary the electronics & samples quite prominently! To enhance the heaviness of their live performances, the band announced having recruited a second guitarist, but completely forgot to mention his/ her name, or alter their MySpace page profile...so perhaps things didn't work out that we after all. British citizens may have found out what's the deal on this subject in late October of last, when the band did a short UK tour. To end the album, the band edited/ remixed their album opening song “Deep Coma” (also with partial clean singing, by the way) in a version with far more prominent electronics...and don't you just know me enough to be certain I simply love it even better!? To the musically blindfolded, those “music fans” who need constant and instant confirmation of how théy feel a band should sound, it may seem like the band is somewhat limited in their output, brings songs which resemble each other somewhat. Well screw you, short-sighted idiots! What's available here is a band which exposes the innards of its music only after repeated listening sessions, making analysis a lengthy process...and personally I've always felt better with albums I can listen to more than just the couple of times! You can check out a foursome of the band's songs (as well as a video for one of 'em) at myspace.com/terminalsick! Definitely something for the more open-minded or experienced music fans! Hum...with the announcement that the band started work on new material during the Summer of last, I'm sure looking forward to finding out what this band (and hopefully with the aforementioned addition to the line-up) may grow out to become. 95/100 Tony. |
